Crystal McQueen

Why are you passionate about education reform?

I went to high-need public schools in Brooklyn, NY from elementary through middle school. When I was in middle school, I was referred to a leadership program called Prep for Prep 9, which helps inner city public school students get into independent boarding schools. Going through that program and then going to boarding school helped me to really understand the achievement gap first-hand. I was one of the smartest kids in my class in middle school, but when I went to Prep 9 classes, I discovered that there were a lot of gaps in my core content area knowledge. When we visited a boarding school in CT, and I saw the wealth of resources that were available to students from more affluent backgrounds, it was heartbreaking. Why didn’t my school have state of the art science labs, sprawling sports fields, and an enormous variety of course offerings? It was clear to me that education opportunities were different for different kids from different neighborhoods, socioeconomic statuses, and ethnic backgrounds and that really upset me. I knew that I wanted to do something about this so I majored in education studies in college, found my way to teaching and finally to TNTP.

What path led you to your current role?

I started with TNTP on the Training & Support team on the NYC Teaching Fellows (NYCTF) contract as the Pre-service training coordinator, working with the Fellow Advisors and coordinators who implement the training curriculum to new Fellows during the summer training Institute. Then I moved into the Director of Training & Support role where I managed the T&S team to plan and execute the seven week training Institute for incoming Fellows, including the training sessions and the field teaching component. Most recently, I was promoted into the Partner role for NYCTF working with Site Managers to ensure that we are executing a successful contract and working with the NYCDOE to identify opportunities to better prepare new teachers.

What do you like most about TNTP?

We are an organization of goal-driven individuals who care deeply about improving the education outcomes for students across this country. When you have a critical mass of individuals all working towards the same goals in various manners, that equals huge benefits for numerous school districts and millions of students.